India Food

The food in India is just as diverse as its people and cultures. When you're traveling in India you start to get the impression that it's not just one big country. It seems almost like it's made up of thousands of individual countries each with its own traditions, culture but most noticeably, flavor!

Indian cuisine

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The sometimes overwhelming aroma of India is the light scent of roses and lavender flowing on the warm air mixing with the heavy fragrance of spices coming from every home. Oils and spices are a vital part of pretty much every aspect of Indian food and are used to enhance the taste of a dish. Exact blending methods and combinations of flavors have been passed down through families for thousands of years so you're unlikely to eat two meals that are the same. The English word 'curry' translates to Hindi as 'Kari' which basically means 'spice sauce'.

India Food

Indian cuisine has many depths to it and each unique dish can be identified by different cooking techniques, by its region and by its chef. India's various religions and cultures have played a major part in modern day Indian food. For nearly two millenia, mass immigration and religious and cultural fusing along with its massive geographical differences (climate, altitude, etc) have had a huge influence on the evolution of food in India.

Trade routes from the Middle East, China and South East Asia (Thailand, Cambodia etc) brought a whole new range of ingredients to light. Various occupation such as the Portuguese and British brought a touch of the Mediterranean to Indian cooking.

North Indian food

North Indian cuisine has some of the most exotic foods available in India and some say that if you are going to India for just the food, then the north is the place to be.

The staple of north Indian food consists predominately of Lentils, Vegetables and Roti (round, flat wheat bread). North Indian cuisine is also noted for its high use of dairy products. Milk, paneer, butter and yogurt are all used as either an ingredient in the cooking process or served as a side dish.

The Thali is a good example of a standard meal in North India and would usually consist of Roti, Rice and a selection of side dishes. Sometimes you will only get a couple consisting of a chutney and a Dal (Lentil gravy) but if your lucky or go to a restaurant specializing in Thalis you can get up to 12 side dishes with things like Fried vegetables, curd, mango puree, chutneys, pickles, the list goes on. A typical dessert would be a choice of sweet meats which originated in Bengal. Things like Rasagulla (cheese balls dipped in syrup), Sandesh (Coconut and sugar balls) and Gulab Jamuns (cream, sugar, flour and saffron).

Cuisine in the north utilities the use of the 'Tawa' (griddle) for baking the flat breads such as Roti and Paranthas and the 'Tandoor" which is a large round oven used for baking Naan bread and Tandoori chicken.

The North also eat more meat than the rest of the country, Goat and lamb are popular, obviously no steak (holy cows) and pork is rare because of the large Muslim population.

The Samosa has been a large part of North Indian lives for centuries and can now be found all over India and the rest of the world. Each street seller or chef will have there own secret recipes but popular ingredients consist of fried or mashed potato with spices or minced meat, cheese, mushroom or chick peas.

Because of the large Muslim population in North India, Kebabs and other meat dishes have become very popular.

For more complete information on the regional food in India follow the link below

India Food

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A Few of the World's Best Pizzas

From deep-dish to thin crust, it's hard to resist a good pizza! Whether you're a vegetarian or a meat lover-type, we've compiled a list of the hottest pizza spots from around the country. Ever feel like there is not enough cheese on your pizza, too many onions or too little sauce? Worry no more! When you check out one of these places, you'll have no complaints - just a mouth-full of pie.

Everyone is loyal to the pizza from their home town. The west coast loves pizza their way. The mid-west loves their pizza. Don't even get us started on the Chicago's Deep Dish vs. New York Pizza. Even other countries feel their pizza is the best. One thing we can all be certain about: We love pizza and so do you and it doesn't matter where you live or your favorite style.

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Any way you slice it, these are some of the picks for the best pizza:

A Few of the World's Best Pizzas

Da Silvio Pizzeria (Venice, Italy) - Guests here enjoy their slices outside in the garden. Known for its endless possibilities when it comes to Pizza and their slogan "come te vuole" (as you wish), Da Silvio's selections offer some of the freshest ingredients in Italy. Just make sure you save room for their decadent chocolate biscotti!

Totonnos (New York City, NY) - If you ask what time they close, the owner will tell you it's when they run out of dough. This can cut the night short, since the place is hopping from as early as 11 am. So if you are in the mood for one of these mouthwatering slices, just make sure you call ahead. The oldest continuously operating pizza joint in the US run by the same family, Totonnos continues to satisfy regulars and tourists alike.

Spris (Miami, FL) - A virtuous Italian pizzeria and more, Spris (pronounced "sprees") is named after the famous aperitif from the Veneto Region. Awarded "Best Pizza" by the Miami New Times, Spris is considered "Best Gourmet Pizza" by Sun Post and has received an "Excellent" critique by the Zagat Survey. With over 30 mouth-watering varieties baked in a wood-burning brick oven, Spris' famed thin-crust pizza is sure to please just about anyone. (And what's best - they're open till 3 a.m. - perfect for those South Beach night crawlers!)

To see the complete list of best pizzas around the world, visit journeyPod's article.

A Few of the World's Best Pizzas

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Philippine Culture Uniquely Distinct From the Rest of the World

The Philippine culture defines the unique distinctiveness of Filipinos from the rest of the world. Its richness in culture makes it highly different and more prominent from other countries. The Philippines have diverse cultural heritage, arts, traditions and spoken languages. The country has innumerable museums that take account to the wide historical and cultural evolution of its nation with churches, museums and galleries available throughout the Philippine Islands and are found in the different key cities of its provinces.

Each province has its own cultural folk dances showcasing the elegant styles of Filipino dances and the beauty of its people. They also follow their own unique traditions and have a way of celebrating their cultural practices through fiestas and events. The Filipinos naturally love arts and they can depict certain historical events through paintings, poems, songs and writings.

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Historical Influence to the Philippine Culture

Philippine Culture Uniquely Distinct From the Rest of the World

The culture of the Philippines is highly influenced by history and the blending of foreign influences and its indigenous civilization. The Philippines has been colonized by Spain for over three centuries. Hispanic influences are dominant in the Philippine's folk music, foods, art, religion, language and folk dances.

The Malayo-Polynesian has influences to the Philippines during its pre-Hispanic and non-Christian era. It influenced the country's mythology and indigenous culture along with the Buddhism, Hinduism, Islamic and Christianity traditions.

The United States also has an influence to the Philippine culture signified by the love of the Filipinos to contemporary pop music, film, basketball, music and fast foods. The Chinese and Japanese introduced martial arts, mahjong and other gambling forms. They also influenced the people's natural preference to Asian cuisines.

The Philippine Cultural Heritage

The culture of the Philippine is diverse. About 90% of the Filipinos are Christians and 5% are Muslims. The rest practice other religions and others do not seem to have any religion at all. Despite the westernization of the country and foreign influences, many of its people remain to believe in superstitions. This cultural belief came from their ancient ancestors.

The country has beautiful traditional folk dances that showcase the elegance, beauty and grace of the Filipinos. They use flaunting Filipino dress and play Filipino music. The dances showcase the Filipino culture.

The Philippines is also a land of artists. Filipino artists are renowned in the world in the fields of music and art. They are highly respectable in these fields and brought honor and glory to their country. The Filipino people are great optimists. They always see light in the midst of darkness and always keep a positive point of view. This makes them endure the various challenges that arise in the economic, political, socio-cultural, religious and other aspects of their way of life.

There are several dialects that Filipinos can speak. They rank high as the country with most dialects spoken. The country has the most traditions to follow which continues to prevail despite its westernization. Most of these traditions are handed down in generations and continue to be practiced by majority of the Filipinos.

The diverse cultures and traditions in the Philippines make the country shine throughout the world. It has solicited fame and uniqueness to the country and its people. There is no wonder that the Filipinos are known for their warm hospitality and innumerable cultural traditions and heritage. The blend of foreign and ancient influences in Philippine culture makes the country uniquely distinct from the rest of the world.

Philippine Culture Uniquely Distinct From the Rest of the World

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Swedish Recipes

Swedish cuisine is such an interesting food to taste. Scandinavian ancestors and foreign immigrants have contributed a wide array of food ideas towards Swedish people. Hence, it gives them an insight to create an extraordinary kind of food which is very nutritious in flavor. Additionally, most people in Sweden are very proud of their culture because they had influenced a lot of practices to other foreign cultures and this include the smorgasbord cooking style. Nowadays, buffet table setting is one of the most famous styles of food preparation. The idea was influenced from the Swedish smorgasbord. Today, the traditional large smorgasbord with its lavish of food can be found in any restaurants, usually at Christmas time.

Aside from gaining international credits, normally, the typical Swedish families also eat three meals a day -- breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in between the meals. They also loves to eat fish including herring, salmon, trout and whitefish. In addition to that, Swedes enjoy the abundance of berries which is often made to different kind of jam. Of course, cooked potatoes are always included on the list of every Swedish recipes.

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Food in Tahiti - Delicious Delights

Exotic and beautiful, Tahiti is for many, the most idyllic destination in the world. Tropical weather, palm fringed white sand beaches, clear blue skies, and azure lagoons, make this tiny island in the South Pacific, the perfect getaway. If you are looking for a stress-free retreat, come to Tahiti and enjoy a vacation like no other!

While in Tahiti, one of the best ways to experience French Polynesian culture is through the food here. Delicious and tasty, the food in Tahiti gives fine dining a whole new meaning. Fish and seafood reign supreme in the kitchens out here, however, do not be deceived. Tahiti offers plenty of natural produce for the vegetarian and even meat-lovers can find some of the most succulent steaks prepared to perfection. If you wish to sample traditional Polynesian cuisine or maa'a tahiti as it is known, your best bet is to visit the capital Papeete, reputed to have some of the finest restaurants in the world.

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What Is Greek Food?

The Mediterranean region of Northern Africa, Europe, and the Middle East is home to some of the most popular cuisines worldwide and includes pasta from Italy, kebabs from Turkey, and of course the highly varied cuisine of Greece. But, what is Greek food? Making use of a wide range of ingredients, namely olive oil, vegetables and herbs, bread, fish, poultry, and cheese, it is easy to comprehend the massive popularity of Greek food around the world.

Perhaps the most important ingredient in traditional Greek dish is olive oil. Indeed, olive oil is used frequently and is usually derived from the many olive trees that populate the region. The distinctive flavours of Greek cuisine owe much to olive oil, but many other ingredients are important in this country's cuisine. The main grain utilized in Greek cuisine is wheat, and perhaps the most popular bread from Greece is the pita bread. Today, the pita bread has become a mainstay of North American supermarkets as it can be used for everything from traditional Greek kebabs or for dipping with the delicious yoghurt, cucumber, and garlic dip known as tzatziki; but is also a popular option for an updated version of the sandwich.

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Kitchen Update in Old World Style With Cabinet Knobs

If you're nostalgic at heart or just want your kitchen to feel trendy but aren't ready to take the stainless steel plunge, you should consider updating your kitchen with older, classic architectural elements. Decorating your kitchen combining your modern appliances with a rustic style will transform your kitchen overnight and create a comfortable, cozy atmosphere instantly for any home.

The Must-Have Antique Essentials

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No matter what style kitchen you have, adding a few dated furniture or accent pieces will give any home a warm, old-fashioned feel. The essentials to creating an antique look revolve around attention to detail. Old world styles, whether Greek, Roman or Old English, focus on craftsmanship.

Kitchen Update in Old World Style With Cabinet Knobs

Most traditional kitchens feature elaborately designed woodwork and cabinetry with equally intricate cabinet knobs. Woodworking styles include raised panel doors, inlaid beaded panels, distressed wood, hand-hammered drawer pulls and even copper, peg and tin drawer handles.

Choose Your Style

Depending on your tastes, you may want to research the possibilities of old styles to determine which suites your home the best. Traditional Greek and Mediterranean kitchens incorporate earthy tones and materials such as clay and ceramics. To incorporate this look in your home, consider adding accent tiling or mosaic pieces to your otherwise plain walls. A perfect area to try your Greek style is the backsplash of your stovetop range.

The Roman style kitchens focus on the fireplace. Most modern homes no longer have fireplaces; instead, ovens and stovetops do all the baking and cooking. However, it's still possible to incorporate the Roman theme in even the most contemporary kitchens. Romans utilized clay bakery and cookware. Why not apply the Roman theme to your home? Choosing a few decorative clay pieces to hang above your countertop, island or stove top immediately adds an authentic touch to your otherwise ordinary kitchen style.

Another traditionally styled kitchen comes from the Old English. English cabinetry features open display racks, so you can display your china dishes. For a modern twist, install a backlight behind the cabinet to really vamp up the spotlight. Other cabinet options include wood cut outs with dark finishes such as bronzes and oils.

Finally, French country kitchens focus on the natural. It's not uncommon for French-styled kitchens to feature bare materials, especially on the walls and ceilings. So if you've got beams in your ceiling, show them off! By coating your existing materials with a dark finish, you can instantly create a rich accent to your kitchen. Be sure that your French country cabinet knobs match the finish of your ceilings or complement your wall palate. Additionally, French kitchens focus on colors. Typically, most kitchens incorporated light hues of off white, ivory, taupe and beige to complement the natural woodworking and tiles.

Match the Accessories

Once you've chosen the style of your liking, be sure to coordinate all aspects of your kitchen with this theme. For instance, a Greek influenced kitchen will not mesh with bright yellow paint. Elements to consider are your cabinet hardware, backsplashes, wood elements and even bar stools or seating areas. Match wood and cabinet finishes with complimentary drawer pulls to create a seamless style.

Light It Up

After you've completed the hard work of redesigning your kitchen into a classically adorned eatery, the proper lighting will showcase your efforts. Most commonly, track lighting is used to highlight accent pieces such as pottery, hanging cookware or ceramic tile work. Other options include tear drop or hanging light fixtures that provide dramatic shadows on your antiqued cabinetry.

Try the Cuisine

With all the hard work behind you, it's now time to host a debut for your new kitchen! Gather friends and family to show off your traditionally infused kitchen design. Whether your kitchen is Greek, Roman, English or French, to really boast your efforts, cook an authentic cuisine that matches your design.

Kitchen Update in Old World Style With Cabinet Knobs

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Sweet and Sour Fish Recipe

The Chinese are the alchemists who discovered that ginger will deodorize garlic when cooked in the same pot, making the pungent little bulb less antisocial but still full of flavor. They also set great store by it for
de-fishing fish and duck (which sometimes tastes fishier than fish).

The following recipe shows the job a slice of ginger, no bigger than a dime, can do to make a whole fish delectable.

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Spicy Thai Food Recipes

On visiting a new country we would always like to experience the local cuisine. Thailand is a country which is famous for its various culinary delights. A wide basket of variety foods are available here, which ranges from the extra spicy to the saline. Huge array of restaurants that serve the local foods will definitely delight your taste buds.

The number of restaurants serving Thai food is on a high not only in India but across the globe as well. The food is spicy because Thai people eat more chili per person than people of any other country.

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Get Some Tastes of Delicious Jamaican Cuisine

Perhaps Jamaican cuisine is the most tasty and diverse Caribbean food type. Approximately, there are actually 30 different kinds of foods on this island nation. Identifying with Jamaican cuisine needs quick expertise on the way the dynamics in the different food types function. Since they are effortlessly cooked, Barbeque Jamaican recipes are quite famous, especially using excellent Jamaican seasonings. The best part of Jamaican cuisine is jerk food recipes. As with the Jamaican flag, there is no any other kind of food that epitomizes Jamaican cuisine like the Jamaican jerk chicken recipes.

The secret in the manifestation of cooking by means of spices and herbs is through using spices like cinnamon, garlic, pimento and other famous seasonings. A number of these spices and aromatic plants are home-grown in Jamaica and head for perhaps the finest recipes in the market. Sweets and desserts are actually flavorings of certain kinds. Even if the use of various fruits, like the coconut, to create the best cake is accepted, one should keep in mind that these sweets supplement a food serving and are actually not a complete meal even if they head for delicious treats.

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Six Top Reasons Why You Should Choose Asia as a Vacation Spot

Are you thinking of a great vacation? Asia could be the perfect destination. Asia vacation offers a great experience on knowing different cultures and attractions. In recent travel destination reviews, Asian vacation travel reservations were at their peak and still continue to make upward trends to most countries in Asia.

Beach vacations in Asia are more popular to many westerners. When you visit countries in Asia especially in the Southeast Asian region, your vacation would never be complete without surfing and Asian beach party. You will surely enjoy the natural beauty of the white sands which are rarely found in these parts of the world.

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Why Visit Costa Rica?

With the wealth of travel destinations available to us all now, the question is why consider Costa Rica over anywhere else for your vacation this year?

Costa Rica is just a few hours flight from the United States yet offers a varied range of possibilities for a vacation spot.

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What is Ratatouille?

Q: So, what exactly is ratatouille?

A: Made up of all sorts of vegetables, ratatouille is most comparable to a vegetable stew. A versatile dish in its own right: it can be served hot, cold, or even lukewarm. Call it an appetizer, call it your main course, whatever you want to call it, it's a classic French dish, namely from the Provencal region. Some serve it with meat and potatoes, others on a bed of rice. Ratatouille bears no burden of restrictions. And for all you leftover lovers, many contend that ratatouille actually tastes better the day after it is cooked. Chocolate and Zucchini even calls it an "ideal make-ahead dish." So try it out!

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Q: Ok, fine, then how do I prepare it?

What is Ratatouille?

A: Its main ingredients are usually tomatoes, aubergines (French for eggplants), courgettes (French for zucchinis), onions, garlic, and some variety of bell peppers. Some cook it with meat, but many French chefs note that it is important to prepare all of the vegetables separately before adding them to the aggregate stew. French chef Phillipe Aubin will back me up on that, but he also claims that aubergines (eggplants if you recall) are not used in the "authentic Ratatouille Nicoise." But after you've decided which vegetables you plan to use and have prepared them, you sauté them all together in an olive oil with some salt, pepper, and a bay leaf for extra flavor. Fine Cooking writers will hit you over the head if you simmer or boil the vegetables together. Ratatouille should not be mushy!

Q: Where did the name come from?

A: We have established that the name is clearly French, but there seems to be some disagreement in the name's actual etymology. The most reliable source to speak on the matter, Merriam Webster Dictionary, claims the word is a "blend of ratouiller, to disturb, shake, and tatouiller, to stir." Most accept that the word touiller, to stir, influences the second component, but the Wikipedia entry for ratatouille says that "rata" was French army slang for chunky stew. Clifford Wright agrees!

Q: When did the idea come about?
A: The first muttering of the word ratatouille happened in 19th century Provence, France. If you find out who came up with it, let me know!

Q: What other interesting facts can you tell me about Ratatouille?

A: Well, you might be excited to know (if you're reading this during the summer) that ratatouille is often prepared during or at the end of the summer, as most of its vegetable components are in season then. That might also be part of the reasoning behind the release date of the Disney movie. This recipe will prove it: summer ratatouille. Also, it was originally considered a poor farmer's dish, according to Aubin (referenced earlier), as it requires no particularly expensive ingredients.

I hope I answered all your questions, if you have any more, feel free to let me know and I'll do my best to find out!

Oh, and don't forget to try out Kitchen Garden Ratatouille for a recipe more unique in the way that it incorporates cheesy polenta into the mix.

What is Ratatouille?

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Thai Chicken Cabbage Soup Recipe

This is a delicious soup that is low on calorie and low on fat. Nutritionists often recommend this as healthy filling soup. To experiment with the taste, you can vary the ingredients according to your taste and requirement. It is easy to cook, and within 45 minutes, it will be served hot at your table. Check out the incredibly simple recipe to cook it at your home.

Ingredients

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A Secret Spice to Cure Your Hangovers

We all know that hangovers are not fun at all, even though drinking might be. Having a hangover the next day can be one of the worst feelings anyone can be subject to, yet we torture ourselves over and over again. Live for the moment right?

The next time you decide to go and have a big night of drinking, take the following tips with you.

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How To Make The World's Best Pickles?

I knew they were the world's best pickles the moment I tasted one. That first taste took place around 1950, and I've tasted a lot of pickles since, am a pickle hound in fact, but I've never come across anything else as good.

They came to us by way of my Uncle Ronald Smith, who was an electrician in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana where I grew up. One day he was doing electrical work for a Bulgarian family, and they rewarded him with a sample pickle. He liked it so much he got the recipe and gave it to his wife Gladys, who gave it to Grandma Glidewell, who made it and gave some to me, and I thought I'd died and gone to pickle heaven.

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And thus, although they became an old Glidewell family recipe, they are really an old Bulgarian family recipe. The Bulgarian family, whose name I do not know, told Uncle Ronald that in Bulgaria, when the first heavy frost kills the tomato vines, they put all their end-of-garden vegetables -- including those green tomatoes -- into a barrel, fill the barrel with pickling brine, and eat the best pickles in the world all winter.

How To Make The World's Best Pickles?

It turns out, though, that the pickles' travel from Bulgaria to the U.S. was only one leg of a more ancient journey. Because I mentioned them to an Iranian woman, and she said, "My family has always made pickles like that! Exactly like that, except we add tarragon."

Iran being the new name for the ancient kingdom of Persia, who knows how many centuries these pickles go back?

There's more: I later lost the recipe's brine proportions. Gave some thought to its travels between Persia and Bulgaria, looked in an Armenian-American cookbook (Treasured Armenian Recipes, published in 1949 by the Armenian General Benevolent Union) and there they were, under "Mixed Pickles No. 2." Turns out the world's best Armenian pickles are just like the world's best Bulgarian and Persian and American pickles, except they include dill, and sometimes green beans and coriander seed.

So this is an old, old recipe belonging to the whole human family.

END-OF-GARDEN PICKLES

Vegetables:

Green tomatoes*, cut in half or quartered if large

Carrots, peeled and cut into strips

Cauliflower, separated into small florets

Baby onions, peeled, or larger onions halved or quartered

Green peppers, cut into broad lengthwise slices

Garlic, two peeled cloves per quart jar

Medium-hot peppers, two small whole peppers per quart

You can also add unpeeled and unwaxed small cucumbers, zucchini, or lightly cooked green beans, though we never did. The hot peppers add adventure and zest, but if you prefer to save your tears for really sad occasions, why not?

Amounts and proportions depend on what vegetables you have and how many quarts you plan to make. You don't have to have the green tomatoes, and the other things can be bought in a grocery store. But you do need a variety of vegetables, and you have to have the onions and garlic, or you won't have the world's best pickles. You will have the world's so-so pickles, and that would be a shame.

Armenian-Persian-Bulgarian Brine

To one quart of water add 1/4 cup pickling salt (salt that isn't iodized), and one cup of white distilled vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil. This is enough brine to cover two quarts of mixed pickles, with a little left over.

Processing

Follow the canning instructions in a good, standard cookbook. Or, if you plan to eat them right away, pack the vegetables into clean quart jars, pour over them the hot brine, and keep the pickles covered in the refrigerator. Some of the more impressionable vegetables, like zucchini, will be ready to eat in only two or three days.

Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to cuisines, recipes, cooking tip, do please browse for more information at our websites.

How To Make The World's Best Pickles?

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Peacock Platter and Barbecued Spareribs

This dish received its name from the fact that various cold, thinly sliced meats are arranged on a platter to resemble the beautiful span of a peacock tail. No precise recipe can be given. It can be as extravagant or simple as time, money and ingenuity allow. Cooked ham, white cooked chicken, roast meats,abalone,braised duck and red simmered meats can be cut into equal sized, very thin slices.

It is easiest to slice the meats with a commercial meat slicer, but, assuming that one is not available, be sure the meat is very cold or even partially frozen and your knife extremely sharp before you slice the meats. Asparagus sliced hard boiled eggs, radishes,cucumber slices, carrot flowers,pineapple wedges, Chinese preserved eggs and many other things can be used for decoration.

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Some Thoughts on Thai and American Fusion Approaches to Food

Various fusion approaches to food are more or less well-known, but Thai peanut sauce in America appears to be an interesting example of developing a product to market as authentic which does not correlate for the most part with food in Thailand. Peanuts are used in Thailand in many dishes, but generally in a form different from the products found in America. In America, peanut sauce seems to be a product which has taken on a lot more prominence, like when a flashlight illuminates a relatively small piece of the landscape, in an attempt to symbolize the food of Thailand more generally.

Thai food is also widely known for health benefits, and many studies support this view. For example, many fresh herbs and spices found in Thai food have antioxidants which help prevent inflammation and protect against various diseases, free radicals and toxins. Ingredients to consider include basil, fresh chillies, coriander, galangal, lemongrass and turmeric.

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Damascus Gate Restaurant, The Worlds Largest Restaurant

Most high-end restaurants you'll ever visit are medium-sized, able to handle relatively large crowds if need be, but better equipped to keep the numbers low. Other restaurants are a bit larger, offering a cafeteria-like setting, handling hundreds of people within its walls.

One restaurant, the world's largest, by far, is like an amusement park. There's really no logical way to describe the sheer size of Syria's Damascus Gate. The gargantuan scale restaurant primarily serves people outside. It's an actual replica of the famous Damascus Gate and has a working waterfall on the premises.

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The restaurant is owned by esteemed businessman Shaker Samman who built the restaurant in hopes of topping Syria's list of the areas largest. However, once word spread about this massive eatery, representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records made the trek and named Damascus Gate as the largest restaurant in the entire world. No pun intended, but that's certainly no small feat. The world is packed with enormous restaurants, although many are not high-end; Damascus dwarfs them all with room to spare.

Damascus Gate Restaurant, The Worlds Largest Restaurant

Before Samman's dream-child was complete, the largest restaurant in the world was a massive eatery in Bangkok that held 5,000 seats - larger than some sporting stadiums. With a hefty price tag of over -million, Samman beat this by over 1,000, giving diners 6,014 different places to sit to enjoy their food in the cool Syrian breeze.

Built to be more than a simple restaurant, Damascus Gate stands out as a symbol of triumph after a prolonged period of economic turmoil and social isolation. Syria boasts over 7-million tourists annually, a large portion of which stop in to eat at Damascus Gate.

In order to break the record, the restaurant had to do more than seat diners comfortably. After all, if that were the only stipulation, you could give forks to everyone at Madison Square Garden and name that the largest restaurant with 20,000 seats. Guinness' stipulations stated that all diners at all tables must be catered to as in a regular restaurant. Damascus' staff didn't disappoint. Operating more like a finely-tuned factory than a kitchen, the dedicated cooks and service staff proved that they could handle the load.

The dining area is 54,000 square feet (actually more than twice the size of the aforementioned Madison Square Garden), and over 1,500 staff members are employed. Like any production line, tasks are broken down and sectioned off. There are multiple kitchens - there are actually multiple restaurants technically. They just all happen to share the same property. It's akin to the food court in the mall knocking down the walls and seating everyone together, although under the same management.

Guests can choose from Chinese food, Indian cuisine, Italian, and more. The average cost of a meal is around 15 dollars (American), so it's definitely affordable. To check out the biggest restaurant the world has ever known, it would be worth twice that just to take a tour, much less grab a great meal.

Damascus Gate Restaurant, The Worlds Largest Restaurant

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Delicious Types of South African Desserts

Here in the United States, we do not often hear about African cooking. This is a shame, because the recipes of Africa offer a lot of flavor and nutrition. Each African nation has their own great food traditions to share. South Africa is a country at the tip of Africa. It has a rich traditional food culture that you may want to check out. South African cuisine covers wild game, soups, stews, seafood, and desserts. The indigenous people built a wonderful cuisine around native foods. During the colonial era, many different culinary influences blended with the traditional foods. French, Dutch, German, British, and Indian cuisines lent their favorite tricks to create today's South African food.

Desserts like koeksisters (similar to fried donuts), mealie-bread and malva pudding are common in South Africa. Melktert, or milk tart, is a traditional custard-like dessert. There is more milk than eggs in this compared to European custards, giving the dessert a light texture and more of a milky flavor. Like many recipes from South Africa, this dessert may trace its history to the Dutch. The Cape of Good Hope was the site of a permanent Dutch settlement during the days of the Dutch East India Company. The name melktert is a combination of Dutch and Afrikaner. Melk is the Dutch term for milk and tert is the Afrikaner version of tart.

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The recipe for melktert also has a history reaching back to Persia, where similar pastries were known as grasshopper wings due to the delicacy of the texture. Originally known as skilferkors, the recipe was first published in 1653. You can find many versions of this recipe online. Buttermilk pie, a recipe from the Southern United States, is very similar.

Delicious Types of South African Desserts

Recipe for Melktert

This is an old fashioned milk tart that is a favorite in South Africa.

What You Need

3 Tablespoons butter, melted 1 cup white sugar 3 egg yolks 1 cup cake flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 cups milk 3 egg whites 1 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

How to Make It

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the inside of a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until smooth. Add the egg yolks one at a time, blending them in until the batter is light and fluffy. Sift the salt, baking powder and cake flour and mix well. Add vanilla and milk and mix until well blended. Using a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the tart continue to bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is set when the pie is gently jiggled.

Serve the milk tart hot or cold.

Delicious Types of South African Desserts

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Eco-Tourism In Thailand

Eco-tourism has become popular all over the world with people demanding that countries do more to preserve nature and environment. Thailand is not far behind in eco-tourism and many activities popular in Thailand fall under that category.

Thailand is very popular with tourists looking for adventure in the wilderness, and is mainly because of the abundance of natural resources that Thailand has to offer its visitors. Mountain biking, whitewater rafting, camping and trekking, scuba diving, bird watching and rock climbing have become the done thing in natural tourist areas. All these activities are available all over Thailand, especially in the south, west and the mountainous regions of the north. The most popular of all these activities being offered to tourists are trekking, bird watching, scuba diving and mountain biking.

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Italian Cuisine - The History

Italian cuisine is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. Although this is a recent change in the restaurant industry, Italian cuisine dates back to the 4th century BC where the roots are derived from potatoes, maize, bell pepper and tomato. Usually an Italian meal would be made up of three to four courses and are seen as a time to spend with family and friends which can be much longer than in other cultures, sometimes lasting for many hours. One very unique aspect of an Italian meal, is the primo or first course. This is usually the most filling dish which would consist of either risotto or pasta, both being rich in carbohydrates. However, modern Italian cuisine would include this as a single course.

It was at the beginning of the 18th century that the culinary books of Italy began to show the regionalism of Italian cuisine. So many of what we eat today comes from over two centuries of Italian history. Through various influences throughout the centuries, including neighbouring regions, conquerors, high-profile chefs, political upheavals as well as the discovery of the New World, a concrete cuisine has formed to what is known today as one of the premiere cuisines in the world. Popular Italian dishes include many pastas and risottos as well as espresso coffee that originally comes from Italy. Also, traditional pizzas are very popular, which many pizzeria restaurants becoming popular all over Britain.

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The reasons for Italian cuisine being so popular are that it combines very simple ingredients with seasoning and herbs, creating tasty mouth watering meals to suit most taste buds. You are able to get many vegetarian dishes as well as meat dishes which allows Italian cuisine to be very versatile. Another reason why Italian restaurants are popular is that the food that is made is fresh and healthy.

Italian Cuisine - The History

For great Italian cuisine, the Italian kitchen is a great Italian restaurant in Glasgow. The Italian kitchen is based in the merchant city area of Glasgow and offers a menu full of authentic Italian cuisine.

Italian Cuisine - The History

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Comfort Foods Around the World

Although chicken noodle soup might be most people's idea of the perfect comfort food, there are other delicious meals that are just as satisfying. It might interest you to know what people in different countries consider comforting.

In the United States, typically requested dishes include brownies, tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, pancakes, mashed potatoes with gravy, lasagna, chili with cornbread, pizza, s'mores, potato skins, buffalo wings and more. Canadian favorites include poutine, which is a dish of French fries served with gravy and cheese curds. Macaroni and cheese is also well loved there.

World Cuisine

In the United Kingdom, childhood favorites are popular in adulthood. These dishes include sausages with mashed potatoes, steamed puddings, ice cream, and boiled eggs with toast strips for dipping. Satisfying Irish foods include boiled stews, homemade cakes, and traditional Irish breakfast.

Comfort Foods Around the World

Congee is considered the most soothing snack in China and this is a thick breakfast soup. Egg drop soup, sweet red bean soup and sweet potato soup are also popular. Japanese curry and miso soup are well loved in Japan.

South American Comfort Food

Argentineans enjoy breaded meat with fries, pasta with Parmesan and butter, dulce de leche and cannelloni with tomato sauce, while Brazilians prefer steak and fries, chocolate milk, fried eggs and beef stroganoff.

In El Salvador, people find tamales, sweet breads, rice pudding, tres leches cake and fried plantain to bring comfort and in Mexico quesadillas, vermicelli soup, huevos rancheros, and enchiladas are popular.

Some European Favorites

Scrambled eggs, fried eggs, spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce, pancakes with sugar and honey, omelets with sausages and cheese, and meatballs are Greek comfort foods. Hungarians prefer goulash and other traditional dishes.

The Italians like pizza, lasagna, cannelloni, spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, onion omelet and mortadella sandwiches. In Spain, dishes such as fried rice, fried potatoes, potato omelet are preferred. Meatballs with mashed potatoes, pancakes with jelly and porridge with lingonberry jam are well loved Swedish foods and the Swedes also enjoy boiled potatoes with sour cream.

More Tasty Treats

Vegetarian comfort foods in India, where there are more vegetarians than anywhere else, include poori, which is a deep fried bread, red lentil stew, and rice dishes. Meat and fish eaters can enjoy kachori and samosas. Filipino comfort food includes ice cream, chocolate and anything resembling home-cooked meals.

Hummus, falafel, sweet pancakes, and lentil soup are popular throughout the Arab world. Coriander and chickpea soup is also a soothing dish and tagines are well loved in North Africa. An egg and fenugreek soup called eshkeneh is well loved in Iran and a comforting drink there is called dogh. This is made primarily with yogurt and water.

You can see from the above foods that soup features in many cuisines as a satisfying and popular dish. This is partly because it is warm and thick and partly because there are so many soup recipes that everyone can find at least one soup to love. Pumpkin soup is especially popular because it can be sweet and creamy or savory and spicy.

Comfort Foods Around the World

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New Zealand Recipes and Cuisine

New Zealand gets its cuisine from two many sources: British cuisine, introduced by settlers from the United Kingdom, and the traditional cuisine of the indigenous Maori people. Additionally, in recent years, as travel overseas has become more widely available, New Zealand has also gradually began to introduce influences from French cuisine, Italian cuisine, as well as Asian recipes.

Some popular dishes in New Zealand include:

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- Colonial goose - A roast leg of lamb, deboned, stuffed with honey and dried apricots, and marinated in red wine. This recipe was developed by the early colonial pioneers of New Zealand, who wanted to emulate the taste of goose, but had to make do with sheep.

New Zealand Recipes and Cuisine

- Fish and chips - Like British fish and chips, this dish consists of deep-fried fish in batter or breadcrumbs, served with fried potatoes.

- Meat pies

- Roast lamb

- Lamingtons - Cubes of sponge cake, covered with chocolate icing and dessicated coconut. The cubes may be sliced in half, and a layer of cream or strawberry jam spread between the halves.

- ANZAC biscuits - New Zealanders claim to have invented this dish, but the dish is also claimed by Australia. ANZAC biscuts are made from rolled oats, coconut and syrup. According to legend, they were first prepared for the ANZAC troops sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I, the recipe being specifically designed so as to produce a biscuit that would preserve well.

- Pavlova - A meringue with a crispy exterior, but light and fluffy on the inside. As with ANZAC biscuits, both Australia and New Zealand claim to have invented the dish.

- Hokey pokey ice cream - Vanilla ice cream containing small lumps of toffee.

New Zealand Recipes and Cuisine

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How to Choose a Thailand Cooking School

Welcome to the land of smiles!

So, what should one consider when selecting a Thai cooking school?

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A Glossary of Typical Thai Dishes - Part II

Continuing from last week's article, this week's article will focus on seafood and stir-fried dishes and Thai fruits. Certainly the fruits and the seafood are two particular strengths of Thai cuisine, and taken together the articles for both weeks outline enough dishes to help fill many months with a wonderful variety of flavorful and healthy dishes.

Seafood
Thailand is one of the lucky countries where seafood is abundant. There is a wide variety of seafood to choose from at a reasonable price. While not everyone likes or used to seafood, there truly is much to choose from and any different flavors and textures, making it quite possible one would find some favorite dishes.
Goong Ob Wun Sen: steamed teamed prawns with glass noodles, ginger, cilantro and cilantro seeds Ho Mok Pla: steamed fish custard Ho Mok Ta Le: steamed seafood custard Hoi Tod: fried oyster in batter with egg on the bed of beansprouts Hoi Ma Laeng Phu Ob: steamed mussels with Thai sweet basil (Bai Ho Ra Pha), kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass and garlic Hoi Nang Rom Sod: fresh oysters with chilies and garlic dipping sauce Hu Cha Lam: shark fin soup Kung Mungkon phao: Grilled lobster with chilies and garlic dipping sauce Pla Kaphong Nueng King: steamed snapper (or other fish) with ginger and chillies Pla Krug Phong Kari Tod: deep fried fish seasoned with curry Pla Meuk Yang: grilled squid with chilies and garlic dipping sauce Pla Nueng Khing: steamed fish with giner and chili Pla Thod: Deep fried fish with chili dipping sauce Poo Jaa: steamed crab with pork Poo Kan Chiang Nueng: steamed crab sculls Poo Nueng: Steamed crab with chilies and garlic dipping sauce Poo Ob Phong Ga Ri: Steamed crab with yellow curry powder Poo Pad Phong Ga Ri: Stir-fried crab with curry powder

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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

1-tablespoon Vegetable oil

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Some Basic Rules Of Cooking

Love, alone, doesn't make a great meal!

The food with which you cook plays a very big role in how you cook, as well as how good it all tastes at the end. For instance, the less fresh the vegetables, the longer they have to be cooked, as water will have been continuously evaporating through the skin leaving the vegetables dryer and dryer. Fresher vegetables also tend to be sweeter and better tasting.

Thai Cuisine

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Arizona Spa Vacations

During the winter, many tourists visit Desert spa resorts in Arizona to relax their senses and nerves from their tiring hectic schedules. During colder months, visitors can also take advantage of the warm Arizona sun and enjoy one of many outdoor activities that go on year round in Arizona. There are also several first class spa vacation resorts in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson.

Destination spas are basically proclaimed as wellness centers with the main purpose of enhancing your physical and mental well-being. Some of the resorts have many different exercise and wellness classes that are offered as part of a complete spa package to tourists.

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